A Reflection of Shadows: A Sexy Second-Chance Historical Fantasy Romance

Anne Renwick

May 2019 · Elemental Web Tales: Historical Fantasy Romance Book 3 · Anne Renwick

About this ebook

Enjoy this story by historical fantasy romance author Anne Renwick where you'll unravel mysteries and defy conventions in a world where danger lurks around every corner. You’ll find forbidden romance, evil villains and mad science in these gaslamp and steampunk romances...

A thief with golden eyes. The spy who loves her. A mad scientist who will break hearts to expose her secrets.

Shunned for her odd eyes and an unnerving habit of slipping into shadows, Lady Colleen Stewart refuses to be caged—should she decide to marry, it’ll be for love and to a man of her choice. After all, she’d rather be racing over rooftops than waltzing across ballroom floors. So when the only man to ever tempt her heart invites her on a covert mission, she leaps into danger.

Nicholas Torrington, Queen’s agent, is running out of time. While work has him chasing his tail, his sister grows increasingly ill, and Colleen, the woman he would make his bride, has acquired another, determined suitor. To coax his favorite thief back into his arms, he’ll break every rule and lead her through the underbelly of London on a hunt for a mad scientist and a cure for his sister.

But the discovery of a burned-out laboratory provides more questions than answers, and they find themselves caught in a deadly game where they have become the prey. Surviving the ambitions of their pursuers will bring everything into sharp focus as they risk their very lives.

STEP INTO THE ELEMENTAL WEB!

A Reflection of Shadows is the third story in the Elemental Web Tales, although all books in the Elemental Web (Chronicles, Tales & Stories) can be read as standalones. For fans of steampunk and gaslamp fantasy romance like SL Prater, AJ Lancaster and Jacquelyn Benson, this is a STEAMY romance with a guaranteed happily ever after for women in STEM and the men who are their match.

Ratings and reviews

3.5 This is truly a wonderful story. There is clever world building, a seat-gripping plot, and interesting characters. The relationship between Nick and Colleen is lovely and real, which is somewhat hard to find in many books nowadays! The main thing I didn't quite like was how the beginning is a little complicated. A few chapters in, you get used to shifting perspectives. However, at the beginning it can be difficult to follow.

The Thief and the Queen’s Agent This fascinating steampunk tale will take you through twists and turns that will leave you reeling. He is on a mission to save his sister. She is on a quest to escape an undesirable marriage and save her lands from a greedy uncle. Their paths cross, and they find themselves entangled in a deadly web of deceit. If you like romantic steampunk stories that keep you turning the pages, you might enjoy this tale. There are heroes, villains, and mad scientists in the mix.

A Reflection of Shadows can be described as a combination of steampunk, mystery, romance, and a spy novel. Lady Colleen Stewart is a thief with golden eyes and Laird of Craigieburn Castle in Scotland; Nicholas Torrington is a handsome Queen's Agent whose sister is gravely ill. These two characters have a history of crossing paths in their respective worlds and have a bit of an attraction towards each other. Their worlds collide in an unexpected way as they work together to chase down a deranged scientist who has been doing horrific experiments on animals that may, ironically, provide insights into a cure for Nicholas's sister. In order to make their story stick, they play the role of an engaged couple. Question is, can they keep this ruse up while their lives are put in danger? As the story builds to a climax, the two finds themselves literally fighting for their lives as they become victims to the madness that is the deranged scientist. A jealous suitor who wants Lady Stewart's inheritance doesn't help matters either. Can Colleen and Nicholas overcome these challenges and help Nicholas's sister? Ms. Renwick pulls in her trademark elements of science which is my favorite part of her writing style. She's so imaginative and it's apparent to me that she does her research before diving in. I didn't feel like this one flowed as smoothly as the other installments in the series. At times, I felt like there was too much additional detail for minor aspects of the book. Regardless, this was a good story and is recommended for fans of Ms. Renwick and steampunk romance fans.

About the author

ANNE RENWICK holds a Ph.D. in biology and greatly enjoyed tormenting the overburdened undergraduates who were her students, fiction has always been her first love. Today, she writes steampunk romance, placing a new kind of biotech in the hands of mad scientists, proper young ladies and determined villains.

Anne brings an unusual perspective to steampunk. A number of years spent locked inside the bowels of a biological research facility left her permanently altered. In her steampunk world, the Victorian fascination with all things anatomical led to a number of alarming biotechnological advances. Ones that the enemies of Britain would dearly love to possess.